Staff Member of the Month: Mitchell Pace

History teacher and varsity football coach Mitchell Pace is October’s Staff Member of the Month. He’s married with three children, Molly, Sophie and Jack, all of whom attend Fluvanna County Public Schools.

Pace, a graduate of Fluvanna County High School, received his Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Virginia. “I’ve always enjoyed history, but I didn’t always want to teach it. The shift came in college when I decided that being in front of the classroom, sharing the amazing stories of history, would be my goal,” Pace said. He started teaching at FCHS and has been here for 11 years.  

When questioned about his love of history, Pace replied, “History is captivating; the individual stories and overlapping events that all combined to get us where we are is astonishing.” His favorite part about teaching is interacting with his students during discussions.  

The most interesting thing to happen to Pace while teaching came after scolding an AP Government class one day for laziness and turning in incomplete assignments. His students, knowing about his love of sweet tea, delivered 17 sweet teas to his desk the following day. “I was quite surprised when I arrived to find that many teas on my desk,” he said.

Pace also coaches the varsity football team at FCHS. Football has always intrigued him due to “the aggressive yet delicate balance of the team working together.” As a coach, he is still involved with the process of the competition, “but more from a mental aspect now, as opposed to the physical side of things as a player.” He likes coaching because it provides the competition and camaraderie he enjoyed when he played on the Fluco football team.